Emily & Emil's Story...

When life gives you lemons...

To start, we're Emily and Emil (strange but true, we know). When we first met, Emil was known as Lime (his name backwards) and I was known as Lemmony. Yes, if you must know, we are thinking of having centerpieces with limes and lemons – cheesy, but fitting.

Born and raised Calgarians (go Flames!) we can't imagine living anywhere else. Emil is a buyer for an IT company and being animal lovers, we also own a pet bakery. Emil is still in the learning process but who knew he would be a proud owner of a barking cat and a crazy Springer. We met back in first year University through mutual friends and ended taking an English class together - the rest is history as they say. Since we went from being friends to more than friends, you could imagine how awkward things were. The first kiss was a disaster to say the least. I am his first and only girlfriend so you could only imagine how eager he was! I was so nervous that I would have rather fallen out of the car than kiss him. We've gotten better since :)

Growing up in a single parent home and being the only child, my father was extremely protective. Just ask Emil how many times he had to hide in the closet! But he stuck around through the thick and thin and (only) nine years later he popped the question. Talk about patience, he had the ring for almost a year! The ring was custom made into a paw shape and after having asked for my parents' permission, he proposed. I knew Emil was the one since he was the only guy I ever wanted to tell my father about. Every girl has envisioned their perfect wedding day, but I never bothered because I dreaded it more than anything.

Winning this wedding would be awesome of course, but more so it would mean that we would have the chance to have my father at our wedding. My parents are divorced and don't particularly get along. I waited four months before I told my dad that that we were even engaged. I finally told him three weeks ago...he hasn't spoken to me since. He's not upset about the marriage, but what the wedding will bring - family members and the issues that come with them. People always told me that I let my family run my life, but in the end, they are family and I just want to show him that I do love and respect him and that it would mean the world if he could be there for us. I'm hoping that by having a small destination wedding, there is at least a chance that he would come and walk me down the aisle. Weddings should mean something, and unless my father is there, it's just another "show".

Click here to read more about Emily & Emil.